Elias Carayannis, Professor of Science, Technology, Innovation and Entrepreneurship at George Washington visited the University of Patras and gave a great lecture on Entrepreneurship and Innovation for Sustainable Growth as an antidote to the economic crisis of Greece. The recording will be published soon. Read here his
OPEN LETTER TO THE PRIME MINISTER OF GREECE
Re: Initiatives to Revitalize the Hellenic Education Ecosystem and Accelerate Sustainable Economic Growth and the Role of Universities
Date: May 5, 2012
Dear Primer Minister,
“My «motto» is that academics are – or should continually strive to become – entrepreneurs of the mind in the business of growing people intellectually, spiritually and socially.
Entrepreneurship is in my mind and per my experience, a liberator of creativity and an enabler of inventiveness that converts human dreams into socio-economic realities. I consider teaching, research and outreach as three key pillars of the academic enterprise that are mutually complementary and reinforcing. Successful entrepreneurs are typically people of a certain caliber of character, culture and charisma that leverage the financial means they have earned to do good in a multitude of ways… In the same context, through my research and pedagogy, I have come to qualify entrepreneurs of any type – including those of the mind who by the way represent the dominant mode in a knowledge economy and society – as obsessed maniacs and clairvoyant oracles.” (Elias G. Carayannis, Lecture on E&I in Seattle, Washington, March 2007).
I have been involved for a number of years now and on a voluntary, pro-bono basis, in designing and implementing initiatives to help reform and revitalize the Hellenic Education Ecosystem and in particular the higher education component as it relates to the National Innovation and Entrepreneurship Ecosystem of Greece (please see below and attached related publications as well as my bio and academic publication venues I lead for your reference).
· RELATED GENERAL PRESS PUBLICATIONS:
- http://www.elliniki-gnomi.eu/archives/28712
- SKAI Interview starts at around 32:00 – http://www.skai.gr/player/Radio/?mmid=226190
- http://bponline.amcham.gr/?p=1269
- http://bponline.amcham.gr/?p=1338
- VoA: http://www.voanews.com/greek/news/Greece-Economy-12-07-2010-111502959.html
- ERT3: http://www.anixneuseis.gr/?p=8225
- SKAI RADIO: http://drasi.skai.gr/?cat=238
I would like to urgently request your support and actions (not necessarily monetary support but first institutional support and then engaging/coordinating devices and actions) to do the following:
a. Institute the «OK Entrepreneurship and Innovation Initiative» across ALL Hellenic Universities and set it up to take place each year. The President of the Hellenic Democracy should be the host and sponsor of this event in coordination and cooperation with the Minister of Education (see the current pilot implementation at: http://ok2012.uoi.gr ).
b. Institute the HELLENIC ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND INNOVATION OLYMPICS (HEIO) that should happen bi-annually to incorporate best outcomes from actions such as OK2012, Eurobank’s, NBG’s and other such initiatives – the idea would be to leverage BOTH the process and the outcomes to highlight and use as role models success stories as well as promote their funding and co-location per my writings and the OK2012 rubric. The President of the Hellenic Democracy should be the host and sponsor of this event.
c. Institute the HELLENIC NETWORK OF ENTREPRENEURS AND INNOVATORS (HELL-NEI) with BOTH domestic and diaspora members and also parallel to that, the HELLENIC NETWORK OF ENTREPRENEUR AND INNOVATOR MENTORS (HELL-NEIM) and the HELLENIC NETWORK OF ENTREPRENEUR AND INNOVATOR ANGEL INVESTORS (HELL-NEIA). Again, the Hellenic President’s Office should sponsor and coordinate these networks that should be TOTALLY a-political and mission-focused
d. Institute an office for the ENTREPRENEUR AND INNOVATOR OMBUDSMAN. Again, the Hellenic President’s Office should sponsor and coordinate these networks that should be TOTALLY a-political and mission-focused.
Respectfully,
Elias Carayannis
Professor of Science, Technology, Innovation and Entrepreneurship
School of Business, GWU
Email: caraye@gwu.edu
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